This is Our Religion, Pt. 12



The Reality of Bonds between
an Individual and his Nation

The nation is the big family one belongs to, participates in its message, works in its fields, fights under its flags, joys for its victory, and his heart gets broken for its loss.

A great human being would care for his nation as much as he cares for himself or even more. He would care for it in the way he cares for his mother and would celebrate in anything that might connect him with his society and try to bond himself more closely to them.

The Islamic nation in its early beginnings was a unique example of love and collaboration. The relationship between the rulers and their subjects was built on honoring and love as an interpretation for the Prophet�s Hadeeth,
� The best of your Imams �leaders� are those who love you and you love them, who would make Duaa �supplication� for you and you would do the same for them.� (Al-Munziri)

This of course would come as a result of the purity of souls, the spread of justice, and the success of the public message that both the governor and the people cooperated in its success. You would feel the elegance of this mutual affection and the greatness of this comprehensive message when you witness what passes through the hearts of those who fight for the sake of Allah �Mujahideen� when they are at the verge of fighting with their enemy.

Al-Noman bin Moqrin (one of the prominent leaders on the Persian front), and his emotion while fighting was with the crowds of believers far behind the front and in that he said:
"I fought with the Prophet pbuh some battles. When the dawn comes he would stop the fighting until the sun rises then he would resume the fight until mid of day. Then he would stop until it is after mid day and fights until Aser time (after 4 p.m.) then he would stop and pray the Aser Salat and after that he would resume fighting."

The Prophet used, � At these times the wind of victory would blow, and believers would supplicate to Allah for their soldiers in their Salat (Prayers).� (Tirmidi)

The bond between Muslims is far more great than just a mere citizenship, or company in its narrower sense.
A companion might be a friend in a limited stage of life.
A citizen might be a companion in the range of common interest in this piece of land called country� or in the nature of commitment to good neighborhood and their rights�

But Islam builds links among Muslims based on close brotherhood. A brotherhood in which the deep-rootedness of human relations� flourish, as well as the facts of the Islamic message and what it imposes on its followers from feelings and methods.

The pillars of brotherhood:
The sincere to Allah brotherhood:
* Brotherhood fed by the branches of faith.
* And held together by the purpose of Dawa �asking others to Islam�.
* And brought up on enduring hardships and pleasures by the stages of Jihad �fighting� for the sake of Allah and His Messenger.

This brotherhood is the spirit of Islam, the core of its rules, and the stature of its people and government�
Two people might accept each other's company based on cheap or precious feelings of life.
As for the brotherhood upon which the foundation of the Islamic society is elevated and its breaks hardened, this brotherhood should be, and is not accepted until it is for the sake of Allah alone.
Brotherhood intended here is not an empty slogan.
It is a spiritual and physical partnership built upon being loyal to the teachings of Islam, its commandments and the spread of its guidance. It is the meeting over these actions and tolerance to what it asks from pay and effort and what might follow from joy or pain.
It is a coloring for the human emotion with love or hatred according to what happens to Islam from good or evil.
Then directing the public behavior according to what this conscious brotherhood might judge others upon.

In the Sunna (way) of the Prophet pbuh a lot of Ahadeeth (plural of Hadeeth) for the thorough examination, and the establishment of brotherhood over the basis of religion and ends, and to discard earthly interests from it.
With this alone a sincere, dedicated to the success of its message nation is formed. A nation that lives for and by its message and doesn�t approve anything less than that as a title and a topic for it.

Here is some of what the Prophet pbuh said as an explanation of this faith and aims.

Anas narrated that the Prophet pbuh said, � Three things whoever finds them in himself would taste the sweetness of faith. That Allah and His messenger be more loved to him than anything else, to love and hate others only for the sake of Allah, and to be burned in a great fire be better for him than to associate anything with God.� (Bukhari)

Abi Hurairah narrated that the Prophet pbuh said, � 7 kinds of people are shaded by Allah under His shade in a day there is no shade but His:
A fare Imam, a young man brought up in the obedience of Allah, a man whose heart is attached to Mosques, two men loved each other for the sake of Allah, they gathered in Him and separated in Him, a man was called by a woman of beauty and position to commit adultery but he refused saying I fear Allah, a man who gave a charity in secret that even his left hand wouldn�t know what his right hand has given, and a man who remembered Allah alone and cried.� (Bukhari)

Abi Al-Dardaa narrated that the Prophet pbuh said, �Whenever two men love each other for the sake of Allah in secret, the one who loves the other the most is the most beloved to Allah.� (Tabrani)

Abi Idrees Al-Kholani said:
I once entered the mosque of Damascus and I saw a young man with bright teeth and people are gathered around him. When they disagree about something they would refer to him and do as he says. I asked about him and was told that he is Moaz bin Jabal (a companion of the Prophet pbuh).
The next day I tried to come to the Mosque before him but I found him already there praying. I waited until he finished his prayers and came to him from the front and I saluted him then I told him:
I swear by Allah that I love you. He said, you swear by Allah? I said I swear. Then he took the part of my dress and neared me to him and said rejoice I heard the prophet pbuh say that Allah almighty said, � My love is due to those who love for my sake, set together for my sake, visit each other for my sake, and those who help each other for my sake.� (Malik)

Aicha narrated that the Prophet pbuh said:
I swear on three matters, Allah wouldn�t make those who have a share of Islam like those who don�t. The shares of Islam are three: Salat, Saoum (Fasting), and Zakat�
And no servant would lean on Allah in this life and follow him then Allah would lean him to another in the hereafter. And if man loves a group of people Allah would make him with them in the hereafter.� (Ahmad)

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The status of an individual in Islam

This brotherhood depends on two factors:
* A Divine sacred message from Allah the Lord of the worlds.
* A nation cooperating to work according to this message in every aspect.

And we�ve explained earlier the social-political effects of this pure brotherhood, and that is enough for us to conclude our search:
Does an individual in an Islamic nation melt in the state in the same way done in communist countries?
Or is it the state that serves the individual as in democratic countries?

Islam is the legislation of heaven, and it is above comparison to earthly philosophies but we�d like to explain the properties of the natural tendency of man for people to know the amount of good guaranteed by this religion for mankind�Islam honored man to a degree close to spoiling.

Islam inherited man this vast universe and in his hands put the keys of its treasures.
Islam alarmed man to the value of mind and said to him:
Swim with the current of thought wherever you wish, but be ware of drowning�Islam legalized what�s in the earth and heavens for man to rule and benefit from.

It is true that Islam rejected freedom of desire, crime and hostility, but this ban is not a restriction of freedom in as much as it is a limitation for its boundaries in a way that all humans get their share from it equally. An excess of freedom for someone lessens no other human being�s freedom.

This �spoiling� for man in a matter that is of the most dangerous and important issues of the state. In this matter where it is the right of the state to confiscate an individual freedom, take away his word, and to hit hard on his hands because it�s a matter of war that concerns the nation�s future.

Hozaifa bin Al-Yaman said:
I was prevented from attending Bader battle (the first battle between the pagans and Muslims) and my father because we were taken by the Kufar (non-believers) of Quraish (a name given to the people who lived in Mecca) and were asked by them:
Are you following after Muhammad?
We answered: we only want to reach Madina not Muhammad.
Then they made us swear and took our vows that if we reached Madina not to fight with Muhammad.
When we reached Madina we told the Prophet pbuh about what had happened with us.
He replied, � Go away so that we keep our vows to them, and we seek Allah�s help over them.� (Muslim)

What do you say about that?

A Muslim would give a word in which the state doesn�t see any harm in him keeping his word rather the state would save his face and dignity instead.
All that took place and the Muslims in Bader are only third the number of their enemy, and while they are in need for every man.

Despite all that the prophet pbuh doesn�t ask them to join the fight on the side of their religion and brothers, but he tells them: Go away.
Then the Prophet doesn�t make this loyalty a personal behavior of them and that�s that. Absolutely not, He makes this loyalty a manner of the state itself by saying: we keep our word for them and we seek Allah�s help over them.

Would any individual under any system achieve this honor and dignity?

The same story occurred with a Muslim woman.
Um Hani� Bint (daughter of) Abi Taleb protected two nonbelievers at the time of the conquest of Mecca. The Prophet pbuh said, � We grant asylum to who you gave sanctuary to, Um Hani�.�

And in the times of Islamic conquests a Muslim slave gave protection to an under siege non-believers and they surrendered to this protection.
Disagreement happened among Muslims regarding the value of this protection given by a slave. The issue reached the Muslim Caliph Omar bin Al-Khatab who in his turn respected the Slave�s word and agreed on it. And with this appears the truthfulness of the prophet�s Hadeeth pbuh, � The least among Muslims can give their vows and protection.�

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But Islam when giving the individual such an honorable freedom, it suppressed his cruel desires and locked him within the boundaries of Allah that deny ingratitude, wastefulness, tyranny, and aggression.

An individual doesn�t melt in the society as if the state is a new idol demanding worship from immortal subjects. On the contrary, state in Islam is a guardian of Islam, and its ideals. With this trust Islam requires every individual to offer his soul and wealth for that cause.
Holding such an honest motto, Islam possesses the right of control and guidance in every aspect and in all directions.

In Islamic sense there is no one individual who has the right for others to melt in him, to obey completely, and to love endlessly.

In Islam there is �a governmental system� that directs people and things in order to hold high the word of Allah, glorify His name and to abide by Him.
It is the right of such a system to order and be obeyed, and to ask and be given. It is in this situation an individual is asked to give himself and is not allowed to hesitate or withdrew.

Allah said:
Allah hath purchased of the Believers their persons and their goods; for theirs (in return) is the Garden (of Paradise): they fight in His Cause, and slay and are slain: a promise binding on Him in Truth, through the Law, the Gospel, and the Qur-an: and who is more faithful to his Covenant than Allah? Then rejoice in the bargain which ye have concluded: that is the achievement supreme. [9:111]

And said:
Only those are Believers, who believe in Allah and His Messenger: when they are with him on a matter requiring collective action, they do not depart until they have asked for his leave: those who ask for thy leave are those who believe in Allah and His Messenger; so when they ask for thy leave, for some business of theirs, give leave to those of them whom thou wilt, and ask Allah for their forgiveness: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. [24:62]

And said:
The answer of the Believers, when summoned to Allah and His Messenger, in order that he may judge between them, is no other than this: they say, "We hear and we obey": it is such as these that will attain felicity. [24:51]

And for an individual to give himself completely to the state regarding this situation is not a cancellation for his personality, or an erase for his talents and privileges. But this is the true position one should have towards Allah, the Creator and Sustainer.
When one surrenders himself to the state-in this case - is a kind of obedience to Allah, to seek to please him, and to establish His religion on earth.

But for the individual�s personality to be lost, and to be deprived from his psychological independence as in some economical doctrines, such a thing would create a world of sycophants who live in an atmosphere charged with hatred and wants.
A world that has no place for noble thoughts and high emissions. Islam denies such these situations.
Because Islam is a religion that frees the deeds from deceitful intentions and makes them dedicated purely to Allah and doesn�t accept them at all if were intended for any but Allah alone.

Islam doesn�t recognize a ruler who by his own has the right to exploit the public and the elite. A ruler who would dictate his will over people, because such governorship in this sense is closer to divinity than to people.
Islam obligates the ruler to ask for council and for those around him to give it.
It is an obligation on the nation to advice the ruler when he is mistaken and to criticize his errors when he errs.

In Islam�s view both the governor and those whom he governs are subject to the comprehensive laws and rules of Islam and can never be compromised or ignored.

We conclude from this brief discussion that Islam makes the state for the individual under the limits that protects human�s dignity and their individual characteristics.

Islam would make the individual for the state in the boundaries that would elevate its message�the message of Heaven and the flag of truth.

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